Joseph Frank Opera Excellence Endowment

San Jose State University’s Opera Theater Program is fun, engaging and ever so lively! From our double bill of La Curandera and Trial by Jury last year, students left audiences roaring with laughter as they heard the ¡¡Ayyyyy!! from la Curandera as it tried to cure Alba’s jealous heart. This one-act comic opera was a refreshing take on the same story as Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, where the sorcerer is replaced with a curandera, a Mexican folk healer and magician. 

From laughter to “Silence in Court!” Students also performed Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, a classic and hilarious one-act comic opera. Audiences laughed out loud at the antics on stage as ex-lovers Edwin and Angelina battle it out in a “breach of promise of marriage” lawsuit. 

Performances like La Curandera and Trial by Jury is why San Jose State University’s Opera Theater Program is here.  Over the years, many of our alumni have gone on to perform worldwide and win prestigious awards. All have noted the influence and impact of Joseph Frank, a tenor and Professor Emeritus of voice in the Opera Theater Program. 

When Professor Frank retired in 2019, he proposed the creation of the Joseph Frank Opera Excellence Endowment as his legacy to the Opera Theater Program. It was the very first endowment to support the teaching and performance of opera at SJSU. Today, it provides support to the Opera Theater Program and scholarships to help train the next generation of opera performers. 

To date, we have raised over $100,000 for the Joseph Frank Opera Excellence Endowment. Help us meet our goal of $20,000 today to ensure a level of opera training and development that will be transformative for our students. 

We are already off to a great start with one lead gift of $10,000. Join us and make a gift today for our students.

* The video was created and conceived by Don Nguyen and Richard Le.